Sargent sacked for cocaine

By Brad Walter, Jacquelin Magnay, Glenn Jackson, Greg Prichard

August 25, 2006 — 10.00am

COWBOYS prop Mitchell Sargent yesterday became the second NRL player this week to have tested positive for drugs - but neither faces a ban from playing.

Country Origin front-rower Sargent apologised to his North Queensland teammates before having his contract with the club torn up yesterday. But because his positive swab for cocaine was from an in-house test, he won't be prosecuted under the NRL's tough drugs code, which carries a mandatory two-year ban.

Another NRL player is understood to have been notified that he had returned a positive A sample for cannabis from a random test by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority but he is expected to escape with a warning for a first offence. However, the player faces a ban of up to one year if he tests positive to cannabis again.

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The developments come amid revelations that a Jim Beam Cup player from Newtown, which has a feeder-club relationship with the Roosters, had also tested positive for what is believed to be a performance-enhancing drug. The player is understood to be planning to defend the charge if his B sample also tests positive.

Sargent yesterday waived the right to have his B sample opened after being advised of the results from the in-house drugs test conducted by the Cowboys on Sunday, as reported in yesterday's Herald.

The 27-year-old former Parramatta and Melbourne forward maintained that the previous night had been the first occasion he had taken cocaine but accepted his fate without protest after initially being warned on Sunday there was a problem with his test.

Sargent admitted taking the drug at a party in Townsville after last Saturday night's loss to Newcastle but declined to say if he had been with teammates.

He told his agent, Steve Robinson, he had been unaware the Cowboys had introduced in-house drugs testing, which North Queensland chief executive Peter Parr last night claimed was not in response to the club's dramatic form slump since winning their first six matches.

After his test results were confirmed by a laboratory in Brisbane on Wednesday, Sargent was given the opportunity to state his case before the Cowboys board in two weeks but declined and was instantly dismissed from the remaining year of his contract, despite the protests of some teammates.

"He's shattered, I'm shattered and his family is just unbelievably shattered," Robinson said. "He has been apologising to people since last Sunday. He just said that if he could turn back the clock, he would but he can't. He's done the wrong thing and he's stood up to take the punishment for it.

"I've got out of him that he had never even thought of taking cocaine before, but whatever happened something triggered it and he has got to wear the brunt of that for a fair while. He won't tell me who was there, he won't tell me who gave him the stuff . . all I know is that it was a private party away from football on Saturday night. I don't think there would be too many athletes who would waive their right to a B sample, but he's taking the rap because he's the one that was caught, and, basically with the information they had, I don't think the club had too much choice."

Parr acknowledged that the Cowboys players were divided in their response to the testing - and Sargent's sacking. But he was confident the club did not have a problem with drugs.

"This is the first one that has come back positive - I don't believe that we have a drug problem in any way shape or form. I think this is isolated ," Parr said.

"We wanted to introduce the testing to be pro-active in this area and we were using this back half of the year to get the procedures right so that we could start a bigger testing regime next year.

"I said to the players today that a few of them might think the penalty was harsh, as he is their friend and they are feeling for him, but I think largely they accepted that taking cocaine is not what this club is about."

Cowboys coach Graham Murray had sympathy for Sargent.

"What I'd like to say is he's a good bloke and he's played some good football for this club. I'll never forget that," Murray said. "He's just made a huge mistake. I feel sorry for him."

Only two weeks ago Sargent was the most vocal among a group of North Queensland players who publicly criticised the tough methods of trainer Billy Johnstone. After the Cowboys had been thrashed by the Bulldogs, Sargent said: "Johnstone will be touching us up again. I don't know if that's the way we should be going.

"I think we should freshen up. It's 22 rounds into the year. We're obviously fit enough. I just think we need to concentrate on where we are going wrong, rather than just getting touched up."

But Parr said the club would ensure that Sargent "moves on with his life OK" and offered counselling support.